Re: What does IIGS "Fatal system error-> 0681" mean???

[dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <3omukr$667@newsbf02.news.aol.com>,
Netco King <netcoking@aol.com> wrote:
> What does Apple IIGS "Fatal system error-> 0681" signify???
> 
> I'm a long-time Apple IIe user who just bought an Apple IIGS ROM 01.  When
> I cold-boot my IIGS, I immediately receive an error message which states:
> "Fatal system error-> 0681".  What does this mean???

It means "Event Queue Damaged".  The Event Queue is a buffer in memory
used by the IIgs firmware to keep track of keypresses and mouse
clicks. 

The usual reason for this error message appearing is that a buggy
program has overwritten parts of memory that don't belong to it.

In this case, that doesn't seem very likely.  The next most likely
reason for this message is that you have some faulty RAM in the
computer, or the memory card is not configured correctly, and has a
"hole" in the memory.  Note that the ROM 1's self-test does not test a
memory expansion card (I don't think the ROM 3 does either).

Another possibility is a power supply problem.

Yet another rather less likely possibility is a flat battery (used to
maintain the clock and parameter RAM).

For my final suggestion: some miscellaneous hardware fault.

> Here is my setup (Apple IIGS ROM 01):
> 
> Slot 1 - Your card  (Parallel interface)
>      2 - Your card  (SSC interface)

Any reason why you aren't using the IIgs's built-in serial port?  The
built-in ports provide all sorts of useful options such as buffering,
and can generally cope with higher communications speeds than a Super
Serial Card (not to mention implementing hardware handshaking
properly, albeit with some control signals missing).

>      3 - Built-in text display
>      4 - Mouse Port
>      5 - Smart Port (Apple 3.5" drive)
>      6 - Your card  (Disk II interface card w/ (2) Disk II's)

These can be connected to the IIgs's built-in disk port if you get an
adaptor cable.  The major advantage of this is that you can leave the
startup slot set to scan, and the IIgs will try to boot slot 6, then
will continue booting lower numbered slots if there is no 5.25" disk
in the drive (with the Disk ][ card, the computer will wait forever
until you insert a 5.25" disk or press Control-Reset).

>      7 - Your card  (AE Ramfactor 1 MB)
> 
> Aux. Mem. Slot: (Apple Memory Expansion card)

You will get much more use out of the machine (being able to run more
native IIgs software) if you replace the memory card with a larger one
(preferably 4 MB for maximum flexibility).  1 MB should be more than
enough for any 8-bit applications.

The RAMFactor is of limited use in the IIgs - it is really only usable
as a RAM disk, and the IIgs can provide its own RAM disk via the slot
5 SmartPort firmware (using part of the card in the memory expansion
slot).

> Startup Slot:   Scan
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand